Pickles

Male cardinal flapping its wings on pickle jar graphic

 Mike’s Basic Pickles

This recipe can be used for fridge/freezer pickles, fermented pickles, or water bath canning. Per quart of pickles:

  • 4 c sugar

  • 2 c white vinegar

  • Enough sliced cucumbers or other vegetables (e.g. zucchini) to pack a 1 qt. jar (around 2 lb/6 c)

    Optional flavoring:

  • 1 tsp celery seed

  • 1 tsp turmeric

  • 1 tsp mustard seed

  • 1 tsp coriander seeds

  • Sprigs of dill

  • Onion slices

  • Garlic cloves

  • Peppers

Boil until sugar dissolved. Pack sliced cucumbers into jar; add optional flavorings. Pour brine over pickles as shown in video. Preserve in fridge or freezer; using a fermentation kit; or by water bath processing for 15 minutes for quart jars, 10 minutes for pints (headspace: 1/2 inch). For extra crunch, salt the sliced cucumber in colander for 3 hours before packing.

 Dom’s (Jen’s husband’s) Fridge/Freezer Pickles

Per quart of pickles:

  • 1 ½ c cider vinegar

  • 1 ½ c sugar

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 6 c of cucumbers (approx. 2 lb.)

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • ½ tsp black pepper

Boil until salt and sugar dissolved. Pack sliced cucumbers into quart jar with garlic and pepper. Pour brine over pickles. Let jars cool to room temperature, then place in fridge. Leave in fridge for 24 hours before eating.

Note that this is a fridge or freezer pickle recipe only, not intended for water bath processing! If freezing, salting in a colander before packing is recommended to maintain crispiness; pickles go limp more with freezing than refrigerating.

Female cardinal flapping its wings on pickle jar graphic